Second Chances at Successful Planning

It’s a good thing that we have more than one chance to get our long-term care planning the way we want it. Unfortunately, people are generally overly optimistic about their future and often procrastinate at drafting their legal documents instead of planning ahead. People also fail to educate themselves about the many public assistance programs that may be available to them should they need them, or they just don’t understand the rules. Finally, many have taken action by seeing an attorney or used self-help software or internet forms, but have failed to get their planning right. Luckily, it’s never too late to start planning successfully with an experienced Elder Law attorney.

The most important thing to remember is that to accomplish your goals without luck takes planning, and planning takes preparation. The best planning is done over time, but most of us wait until we are in a crisis to take action. Most generic estate planning documents do NOT contemplate a long term care crisis and the need for asset protection. Make sure that you have the right kind of legal documents for a health care crisis, especially if you are over the age of 70. Seniors need different documents than those who are younger, especially if they lack long term care insurance or a substantial nest egg that can cover the cost of a long-term care crisis. Having the right kind of elder law estate planning documents in place will help you get long term care assistance, as well as protect your assets for your spouse and children.

You should also learn what types of long-term care planning options are available to you. You can prepare for your long-term care needs by attending our firm’s free monthly seminars to learn whether you can be eligible for certain government assistance programs. At our monthly seminars, we educate attendees about VA benefits, Medicaid, and Special Assistance, among other financial assistance programs that can be available for middle class families. Our attorneys are VA accredited advisors, so we provide accurate information about the VA pension program (a long term care reimbursement for long term care costs) available to war period veterans, their wives, or their widows and widowers.  We also provide information about the North Carolina assisted living program called Special Assistance, which is only available to those under a certain income cap. Finally, we provide information about Medicaid for those in need of nursing facility care.

Don’t be discouraged if your planning hasn’t been successful for government assistance. People often come to our firm after others have tried to help them, and their applications for government assistance have been denied. As a result, we spend a lot of time correcting mistakes in both legal documents and applications for government assistance. We have a high track record of fixing problems where others have failed. The fact that you’ve been unsuccessful in the past doesn’t mean that you can’t get what you want today with your application for Medicaid, Special Assistance, or VA benefits, or with special needs and tax planning. Call W.G. Alexander & Associates to make an appointment today. You can also attend our free seminars and learn more through our website at www.wgalaw.com or call us at (919) 256-7000.